Driver flees crash scene, apprehended by passerby

A Victoria man attempted to flee after striking a telephone pole in the 3100 block of East Airline Road, only to be apprehended by a passerby and later arrested early Sunday morning.

Christopher Cordil-Cortinas, 20, was driving a Ford Taurus when he crashed about 3:20 a.m., causing an estimated $8,000 worth of damage to two American Electric Power poles and $3,000 worth of damage to a chain link fence owned by Trunkline Gas Co., according to the incident report.

James Hajovsky, 54, said he was driving down the road and saw what looked like fireworks exploding from a transformer. He then noticed Cordil-Cortinas running from the scene, and Hajovsky's first instinct was to pursue the man, he said.

"He took off on foot about two blocks, so I just ran up there, got him and brought him back to the police," the Ganado resident said. "I just told him to 'freeze,' and he laid down."

Victoria Police Department Officer Matthew Luther arrested Cordil-Cortinas on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license and driving while intoxicated, his second offense.

According to the police report, Cordil-Cortinas was convicted of a DWI exactly three years earlier, on Oct. 10, 2007, in Victoria County Court-at-Law 2.

Hajovsky said he knows he could have been hurt in the incident, but that he's "been that way" all his life.

"It seems like I'm always around trouble, but I don't try to start it," he said. "I'm 6-foot, 4 and 200 pounds, so most people respect me quite a bit."